My top spice tool is the volcanic stone mortar and pestle I hauled back from Singapore 15 years ago. On a primitive level there’s something deeply satisfying about the raspy thunk of the pestle as it smashes whole spices against the side of the rough, grey mortar. The aroma of Tellicherry peppercorns, crushed by hand, is positively intoxicating. It’s ideal for pounding wet spices like garlic and ginger, and making small quantities of pesto or curry paste.

Did you know that the artist Georgia O’Keeffe liked to read cookbooks in bed? No, neither did I. But I’m not so sure that the celebrated painter of luminous New Mexican landscapes, “Mother of American Modernism,” erotic muse and wife of photographer Alfred Stieglitz, actually liked to cook. Still, after devouring A Painter’s Kitchen: Recipes […]

We’re 13 days into the new year and I’m already feeling overwhelmed by the tyrannical to-do list. The pressure of the “urgent”—everything from prioritizing a dozen new projects to finally dismantling the Christmas tree, not to mention squeezing meditation, Nick-walking, yoga and Tai Chi into my already jam-packed days—makes me wonder: What happened […]

Remember summer reading lists? In June every year I waited breathlessly for the mailman to bring a thick white envelope embossed with a purple shield. It was from my school and inside there was a long list of books to be read over vacation. A few were required, most were for extra credit. But […]

Is there anything more delicious than climbing into bed with a stack of books you’ve been longing to read? Well, maybe falling asleep on top of the books if you happen to be Nick, our very educated springer spaniel. Do you think the spice books set him to dreaming of chicken curry and voyages to […]

The difference between fresh cinnamon and the ho-hum stuff is remarkable. I’ve just been eating the most delicious Djej Mathisa Mesla, Moroccan chicken simmered in sweet tomato jam, from a recipe by Claudia Roden, that was flavored with gorgeous Ceylon cinnamon sent by a UK firm called Cinnamon Hill. After all these years of seeking the finest spices, I […]

According to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the way to decide which books to keep is to lay them on the floor and ask of each, “Does this spark joy?” Of course, for Nick, the books sparked the perfect place for a nap.

Is there anything more delicious than climbing into bed with a stack of books you’ve been longing to read?

Well, maybe falling asleep on top of the books if you happen to be Nick, our very educated springer spaniel. Do you think the spice books set him to dreaming of chicken curry and voyages to the coast of India?

I spent January cleaning out our house. What a horror! But giving away almost half my clothes and winnowing the library from, oh, maybe 2,500 books to less than 2,000 has opened up a positively thrilling amount of space. The whole house feels lighter and more energetic.

What’s more, deaccessioning so many books has reminded me of the ones I truly love–Ada, The Alexandria Quartet, and The Art of Eating–that will always be the core of my personal library. (As Michael Dirda once wrote,”For a real reader to do without a personal library would be like throwing away a time machine, like waking up an amnesiac, like ceasing to dream.”)

It’s not over, of course. Right now I’m throwing out bushels of paper: 10-year-old tax receipts, disintegrating travel clippings for places that no longer exist, even shopping bags from India and Bhutan. Seriously?

In the meantime, I have a splendid collection of spice books that are yours for the asking. That’s right, it’s time for the sixth annual cookbook giveaway. This time there will also be great reads (The Taste ofConquest: The Rise and Fall of Three Great Cities of Spice [Venice, Lisbon and Amsterdam] by Frederic Krondl); spice and herb encyclopedias (Ian Hemphill’s Spice and Herb Bible, along with a DVD), and inspiration for mixologists (Tony Canigliaro’s Cocktail Laboratory).

Since there are 55 books in all, I haven’t written the usual mini-reviews. Instead, I’ve linked the titles to other places so you can get an idea of what each book is about. But I will say this: There’s not a dog in the lot (pardon me, Nick). All are fascinating books that I don’t have room to keep.

Here’s how it works: Choose 2 or 3 books and email the titles to me at spicelinesatgmaildotcom . Be sure to include your mailing address. It’s first come, first served, but I’ll try to send you at least one of your choices. Maybe more, if you’re lucky! The book(s) will reach you by snail mail at no charge—so please be patient.